Saturday, 30 January 2010

Yawn. For beat reporters and photographers covering a travel destination media conference there is precious little to do aside from nibble on the great food and proudly refuse the free booze that flows like lava out of a spewing volcano. Why? There isn't usually any new news given out. In fact almost everything you learn at the press conference could have been emailed over to the newsroom (and they probably still wouldn't have used it). Air Canada will soon be flying non-stop Charlottetown to Ottawa. Canadian money offered at par in the Buckeye State. Hilton Head Island Goes Green. Those are real headlines from recent press conferences. And the photo ops? travel destination press conference invented the Grip and Grin.It is a different story for freelancers. It is a chance to meet up with visiting destination officials (usually the tourism minister), tour operators and fellow travel writers. Freelance writers are under no moral obligation to avoid the libations,turn down free trips or take home bags of swag. And if you are covering a destination you no real well, and have the chance to ask probing questions you do find out some neat things. Take for example a presser I attended in January, put on by the Cayman Island Tourist Board.Cayman has long advertised in Diver Magazine. I go there a lot. It is one of the best destinations in the Caribbean for diving and there are non-stop flights from Toronto (which means you don't have to pass through the US). I am a Cayman junkee. I listen to Cayman Lime Radio. I read the Cayman Compass. My Google News scans 24.7 for Cayman News. Even so, this presser held out nothing for me, it was a two-hour session all about out-of-country weddings. Sure there have been underwater weddings, but, that is a story that has been told many times already.No, I didn't for see learning about anything that I could transfer into an article for Diver (or even a posting on my website for that matter).I was wrong! I did learn a few neat factoids about travel destination weddings from Cayman's guest talking head Rebecca Grinnals of Engaging Concepts based in Celebration, Florida. Grinnals talked in person to over 30 travel experts at the Yorkville movie industry friendly Sassafraz Restaurant. At the same time she was conversing with a whack of bloggers, tweeters and God knows who else was lurking on line in real time. Her message? Despite a recession in 2009, destination weddings (especially in the Cayman Islands) are hotter than ever.“The world’s largest financial crisis last year really fuelled the trend of destination weddings,” she said “While the industry was bracing for the worst, the opposite occurred. Brides began to reprioritize and rethink everything about their wedding. More brides opted for simplicity, choosing to wed away from home in a more casual setting.” Grinnal referenced a 2009 study conducted by Destination Weddings & Honeymoons magazine. It says that the market for destination weddings is on the rise. In 2009, the market ballooned to $16 billion up from $3 billion in 2001. A couple’s destination wedding budget has also grown from US $19,800 in 2008 to US $20,600 in 2009 with the average number of attendees rising to 48 guests.Some of the factoids I learned at the conference?Marrying Passions – “Over 9,000 Chinese couples married on the opening day of the Beijing Olympics and I anticipate many will choose to do the same during the Vancouver Olympics,” says Grinnals. “Couples who have a love of sports or the great outdoors are choosing to share their passion,” she says. From diving out of an airplane to getting married underwater in dive gear, couples are pushing the boundaries of tradition.Two Dress Brides – Brides who travel to marry are tending to buy two wedding dresses. Faced with so many stylish options at great prices, Grinnals says brides are opting for a ceremony dress and a fun, party dress for later in the evening.Dramatic Getaways – When the big day comes to a close and the couple is ready to make their exit, they’re doing it in style. From skiing down a mountain, riding off in a hot air balloon or speeding away on a yacht, the fun is all in the big finale.DIY DJ – “Whether at home or abroad, couples are ditching the DJ in favour of creating their own play lists on an iPod,” says Grinnals. “Plus they’re downloading music from local artists to create a unique party mix.”Hitched in High-Tech – Brides are fully immersed in technology, using their mobile device to coordinate planning and vote on bridal party choices. “Social media is particularly popular for the destination wedding couple who are using sites like Twitter and Facebook to keep everyone up-to-date, especially those unable to attend,” she says. “Some brides are even designating a ‘tweet of honour’ who’s responsible for giving a blow-by-blow of the wedding, while others are using webcast services like http://www.ourcaymanwedding.com/ so those at home can still feel a part of the festivities.” Eco Everything – Because it’s easier than ever to go green at your destination wedding, Grinnals says brides are embracing the trend. “From venues to vendors, they are making green choices in an effort to give back to the environment,” she says.Map It Out – Couples are creating custom maps of the destination which are given to guests upon arrival. “It’s a great way to make your guests feel welcome as soon as they arrive and immediately orients them by providing attractions, restaurants and other information they’ll need while there,”. She suggests http://www.weddingmapper.com/Trashing the Dress – “Popular in Caribbean locales, the couple holds a photo shoot the next day and jumps into the ocean in their wedding outfits,” says Grinnals. “It’s a chance for the couple to really let their hair down after all the stress and pressure from the months leading up to the big day. It’s one of my favourite trends and I don’t see it losing steam anytime soon.”

PUBLIC GALLERY SENDS OUT INVITE TO SOCIAL MEDIA TO MEET EAST COAST ARTIST TOM FORRESTALL AND TOUR HIS NEW EXHIBITION

Renowned Canadian realist painter Thomas DeVany Forrestall will be at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection Sunday January 31st. SOCIAL MEDIA / BLOGGERS are invited to attend the Member’s Opening of Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings

When Sunday, January 28, 2010, noon. – 1:30 p.m. Where McMichael Canadian Art Collection, 10365 Islington Avenue, Kleinburg (just north of the Major Mackenzie Drive, Islington Avenue intersection) Why Tom Forrestall: Paintings, Drawings, Writings organized and circulated by the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia and curated by McMichael Canadian Art Collection Executive Director and CEO, Tom Smart, is a retrospective exhibition which chronicles the artist’s curious observation and exploration of his surroundings, the nature of his creativity, and the source of his visions, through his works. Forrestall’s art has been classified as Magic Realism – an imprecise term often used to describe the work of a coterie of East Coast Canadian painters who emerged after the Second World War (Alex Colville, Christopher Pratt, Mary Pratt). Although their geographic roots, styles and vocabularies were similar, these artists applied themselves differently, each adapting naturalism in a personal way. Who Meet artist Tom Forrestall and exhibition curator and author, Tom Smart, McMichael Executive Director and CEO. What A rare opportunity to meet East Coast artist Tom Forrestall. Mr. Forrestall will tour the exhibit with visiting media. Tom Smart has written a book, which traces the development of Forrestall's art and the depth of his long artistic career and will be attending the Sunday event. The exhibition opens Saturday January 30th and runs to April 25th. Mr. Forrestall with speak and sign books at the Member’s Opening on Sunday January 31st. Free admission for invited Bloggers and their guests (one free guest ticket per blogger) Sunday only.. About the Gallery The McMichael Canadian Art Collection is an agency of the Government of Ontario and acknowledges the support of the Ministry of Culture. It is the foremost venue in the country showcasing the Group of Seven and their contemporaries. In addition to touring exhibitions, its permanent collection consists of more than 5,500 artworks, including paintings by the Group of Seven and their contemporaries, First Nations, and Inuit artists. The gallery is located on Islington Avenue, north of Major Mackenzie Drive in Kleinburg, and is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Admission is $15 for adults, $12 for seniors/students and $30 for families. There is a $5 fee for parking. For more information about the gallery visit www.mcmichael.com.

About Me

Like many other self-employed communicators in Toronto I have an exciting/active career. On one hand I am an active publicist working on many high profile projects including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Toronto Caribbean Carnival and RBC Taylor Prize, Cundill Prize on the other, as a journalist I have one book published (The Sinking of the Mayflower) under my name and have ghost written two other books. I am the travel editor of Diver Magazine and I write travel stories, cultural stories and housing stories for a number of daily newspapers in Canada.I am a Huffington Post. For forty years I have been researching, watching and writing about the History of Diving in the Movies. In the pages of Diver Magazine and a variety of other publications, my articles have been titled Blood And Bubble movies. I have documented over 3,000 movies dating back to the 19th century that show actors/actresses diving or snorkeling on film. My website, with three Blogs and a photography section represent just four small aspects of my work. Always Busy. Never Bored. stephen@stephenweir.com.